INEC Chief Says AI Shouldn't Control 2027 Election Results

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, has stated that Artificial Intelligence (AI) should not be allowed to determine the outcome of Nigeria’s 2027 general election.

Mr Amupitan made this declaration on Wednesday in Abuja during a keynote speech at the AI and Democracy Forum 2026. This event was organized by Yiaga Africa in partnership with INEC, Microsoft, TikTok, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Dataphyte, the MacArthur Foundation, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), and other partners.

The two-day forum, themed “Safeguarding the 2027 General Elections in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” brought together representatives from electoral commissions in Senegal, Kenya, Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Togo. It also included security agencies, civil society groups, media, tech companies, and students.

Mr Amupitan said the aim of the forum was to shift discussions about AI from just recognizing risks to creating practical solutions for the 2027 elections. “Will algorithms decide the 2027 votes?” he asked the audience.

He then answered his own question, emphasizing that the choice of Nigeria's leaders must stay with the people. “No, algorithms will not and must never decide the 2027 vote. 2027 votes must be decided by the sovereign people of Nigeria,” he stated.

He acknowledged that AI will have a big impact on how voters get information and on the administration and security of elections. “AI will undeniably shape the information environment in which citizens form their choices, influence the speed and security of electoral logistics, and alter the tactics of both democratic actors and anti-democratic actors,” he said.

Mr Amupitan urged INEC and its partners to use AI to strengthen the electoral process rather than weaken it. “Our task, therefore, at this forum and within the commission, is to ensure that AI remains a servant of democracy, not its master,” he added.

He explained that Nigeria’s large electoral process makes technology more necessary than ever. INEC is preparing to manage over 100 million registered voters across 176,846 polling units in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The presidential and National Assembly elections are set for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6. The chairman noted that INEC would need to send personnel and sensitive materials to hard-to-reach areas across 774 local government areas, including remote and riverine communities and areas facing insecurity.

He mentioned Kabi Ward in Kuje Area Council of the FCT as a specific example of the logistical challenges faced by INEC. According to him, it can take about three hours to reach the area, and there is limited network coverage.

Mr Amupitan said AI could help the commission tackle some of these issues through predictive modeling, geospatial analysis, and dynamic routing. “Machine learning algorithms can analyze historical traffic patterns, weather forecasts, road conditions, and security incidents to generate optimal deployment routes for logistic vehicles across the terrains,” he explained.

He added that AI-powered systems could also help INEC predict the demand for non-sensitive materials, monitor warehouse stock, and spot supply-chain issues before they affect election-day operations. Mr Amupitan mentioned that INEC had tested some of these systems during elections since he took office, noting improvements in the early delivery of election materials and the start of voting.

The INEC chairman also highlighted several areas where technology has been integrated into the electoral process. He said the commission has digitized its candidate nomination process through the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal, which has processed over 15,000 nominations from 22 political parties ahead of the 2027 elections.

He also said INEC has introduced online voter registration, allowing Nigerians to register remotely using digital devices. Mr Amupitan noted that the commission has also experimented with downloadable voter cards during the Osun governorship election for voters whose cards were lost or damaged.

He said AI could also help detect problems in election results. According to him, algorithms could identify mathematical inconsistencies, unusual patterns, and image-quality issues in uploaded polling-unit results before they enter INEC’s results management system.

He emphasized that this would complement human oversight and the established processes for declaring election results. Mr Amupitan mentioned that AI is also being used to improve the voters’ register by helping the commission find duplicate biometric records.

“With over 13 million records in our national register of voters, AI-enhanced automated biometric identification systems can quickly detect facial and fingerprint duplicates,” he said. The chairman shared that INEC has set up an AI unit within its Information and Communication Technology department.

He also said the commission is finalizing a governance framework for using AI in elections, with support from IFES and other partners. This framework will focus on principles like integrity, transparency, human intervention, and public auditing.

Mr Amupitan warned that while technology can strengthen elections, it can also be used to attack electoral systems and manipulate public information. He pointed out that INEC’s digital infrastructure could become targets for cybercriminals. “Every day we check, working with experts in this area, to detect faults and threats to our systems,” he said.

He added that AI-powered cyber-security systems could help identify denial-of-service attacks, brute-force attacks, and other threats to election infrastructure. The Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, stated that rebuilding public trust will be a major challenge before the 2027 elections.

Mr Itodo said many Nigerians still distrust the electoral process, partly due to the role technology played in the 2023 elections. “Just last week, Yiaga Africa issued a national voting intention survey report, where it is obvious that Nigerians doubt the credibility of the process, and that their votes will not count in 2027,” he said.

The survey was aimed at assessing voter interest and participation and identifying what could encourage or discourage Nigerians from voting. He stressed that simply using technology won't guarantee fair elections. The integrity of those managing the systems is just as important.

“It is one thing to deploy technology; it is another thing for the personal integrity of those managing those technologies to deliver,” he stated. Mr Itodo also raised concerns about the rise of AI-powered platforms for gathering election results before the 2027 elections.

He pointed out that only INEC has the legal authority to declare election results and winners, although other organizations can independently gather results for monitoring purposes. “We encourage stakeholders to continue to use different tools and platforms to keep an eye on the results process,” he said.

He urged organizations using AI for results gathering to ensure their systems are accurate, transparent, and auditable. “For us, as an organization, we’re very open and transparent about the methodologies that we use,” he said.

Mr Itodo added that organizations using AI in elections should follow principles of integrity, transparency, and auditability to keep technology from becoming a source of political instability. The forum is expected to come up with practical recommendations for governing the use of AI in Nigeria’s electoral process as the 2027 elections approach.